Developing apparatus including a partitioning arrangement for partitioning the toner accommodating tank

US5012285A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha · JP

Inventors

• Tateki Oka · Toyohashi, JP
• Naoki Toyoshi · Osaka, JP
• Tomoaki Yokoyama · Toyokawa, JP
• Hiroshi Mizuno · Osaka, JP
• Hiroshi Murasaki
• Akihito Ikegawa · Sakai, JP
• Kouichi Etou · Osaka, JP
• Shuichi Nakagawa · Ako, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: May 6, 1988
• Grant date: Apr 30, 1991
• Expiry date: May 6, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03G15/0896
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A developing apparatus includes a photosensitive drum positioned in confronting relation to a developing sleeve. A toner accommodating tank is provided for supplying toner to the developing sleeve. The toner accommodating tank is divided into a small chamber and a supplementary chamber which are separated from one another by a partition which permits toner to be supplied from the supplementary chamber to the small chamber but which prevents the return of toner from the small chamber to the supplementary. A movable shutter selectively permits and prevents toner from being supplied from the supplementary chamber to the small chamber in accordance with operation of the apparatus.